Don't Talk About My Mother

Mary the mother of Jesus is an important figure in the gospels. She is probably the reason we know about Jesus as a young person (Luke 2:19; 51). We see at important events like at the cross (John 19:25) and in the upper room with the disciples in Acts 1. This has led some to make her into more than any other disciple. In some circles she is prayed to and worshiped. She is looked on a special intercessor for Christians. Is this the way Jesus wanted us to treat his mother?

Consider what Jesus said in Luke 11:27-28. In this passage Jesus was interrupted by a woman who exclaims, "Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed." Her thought is the mother of Jesus must be special since she had a son like Jesus. But Jesus refutes her and says, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." Jesus says she is not any more special that anyone that would do what God commands. There are no “special” saints. A saint is one that hears and obey the word of God (Philemon 1:5 Revelation 14:12). Mary was never intended by Jesus to be singled out for unique reverence.

It is odd to me how in our man made traditions we often go exactly opposite of what is said in scriptures. In 1 Timothy 4:1-3 tells us how there will be those that leave the faith for lies and false doctrines. It even gives us two specific examples of those wayward ideas, “men who forbid marriage” “advocate abstaining from foods”. But what do we see in some that claim to be “the Church”; they forbid certain people from being married and tell their parishioner that they can't eat meats at certain times of the year!

Man-made doctrines even when not as direct as these examples, will always be opposite of God commands. Jesus said in Mark 7:13 “ invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that." Holding to our own created religious ideas is at direct turn against God’s commands. Don’t be captured by those teaching things that are in a worldly mindset rather than according to Christ (Colossians 2:8). His word should be our guide, don't let anyone tell you anything different!

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